1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise apparatus, and particularly to aerobic exercise equipment that enables a person to exercise their arms and legs while in a seated position.
2. Description of the Known Art
Persons today are very aware of the need to exercise on a regular basis as a means for staying physically fit and healthy. In recent years there has been a proliferation of various kinds of exercise equipment for use at health fitness centers and at home. Such equipment has also been developed for use in an aquatic environment in which a person who, for example, may be recovering from a bone injury can perform rehabilitating exercise while partially submerged so as to avoid undesirable stress or shock in the region of the injury while working out.
A thorough cardiovascular or aerobic workout on a regular basis is particularly beneficial to elderly persons. The key to good health and longevity is regular exercise, and elderly persons need to exercise more than others to stay healthy. Yet, as a person ages, exercising may become more difficult. Accordingly, there is a need for aerobic exercise equipment that is configured to meet a mature individual's special needs that may be brought on because of physical restrictions and limitations of the individual. It has also been found that providing aerobic exercise equipment for use in an aquatic environment provides a safe workout for such individuals as well.
Because of the buoyancy of a person's submerged body, undesirable stresses that would otherwise be exerted at the joints and other body parts when working out on land, are significantly reduced. Also, because resistance to an individual's body motions may be developed not by weights or springs but simply from the drag of certain moving parts of an underwater exerciser, there is no danger of over exertion. Further, an aquatic workout provides a natural cooling mechanism for the individual.
An exercise machine for use on land, including a seat, a pair of swivelable arm exercise bars pivoted beneath the forward portion of the seat, and a pair of swivelable foot pedals mounted remotely from the forward edge of the seat, is known by the designation "Aerobot", from ProForm, Inc. of Beaverton, Oreg. The front edge of the seat is supported relatively close to the floor, and a seated person's legs can not swing the foot pedals in an upward motion.
Various patented above-ground equipment including a seat, arm exercise bars or levers with hand grips, and leg exercise bars, are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 263,978 (Apr. 20, 1982) illustrates a physical exerciser having a "U"-shaped exercise bar, with hand grips at the ends of the bar extending above the forward edge of the seat. The bar extends transversely below the seat and is connected to a bottom hinge joint through a support member joined at the middle of the bar. The exercise bar is also pivoted to the free end of an hydraulic piston shaft, so that a preset force must be exerted on the hand grips to move the bar.
The exerciser of the '978 patent also shows a generally "V"-shaped bar pivoted at one free end near the forward edge of the seat with the other end facing down in a vertical plane. The bar has foot-engaging pads projecting sideways, and is pivoted to the free end of another hydraulic piston shaft. The patented exerciser is not constructed so as to permit independent movement of the arms while a person holds the hand grips, and the person's legs must move in unison as well while the feet are positioned in the foot pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 271,603 (Nov. 29, 1983) shows a physical exerciser having a single, pivoted leg pad support assembly disposed below the seat with an hydraulic piston arrangement similar to that of the '978 patent.
Exercise apparatus for use underwater is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,420 (Jun. 8, 1993) which in one embodiment provides a base frame to be disposed at the bottom of a pool of water, a seat, and a pair of L-shaped poles pivoted beneath the seat and arranged to be moved independently to simulate a "rowing" motion. A pair of flaps are mounted on the poles to provide resistance to movement of the poles through the water. A similar arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,085 (Mar. 24, 1992).
A striding exerciser shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,585 (Jul. 25, 1989) is arranged to allow a user to stand on foot supports and move his or her legs in a striding-type motion while gripping a pair of arm members that are fixed to the leg supports at common hubs. The hubs are pivoted in line at the top of a frame, and the user is supported by the frame while standing on the foot supports and gripping the arm members.
Aerobic conditioning apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,233 (Jul. 10, 1990) is also adapted to accommodate a user while standing on swivelable foot engaging plates and griping a pair of upwardly extending swivelable members. The foot and hand engaging members of the apparatus are interconnected to move synchronously. As mentioned, the apparatus of the '585 and '233 patents is designed for use by a person standing in an upright position, and the person's leg and arm movements are coordinated by means in the apparatus.